General Mills yesterday launched a major branding campaign, “Home Is Calling,” for Pillsbury in time for the holidays. It draws upon the appeal of “home” for a national campaign hitting network and cable television, cinema, radio, newspaper, online, and out-of-home. Online includes Yahoo!; newspapers include consumers throughout Minneapolis, the hometown of General Mills, via out-of-home advertising at their ‘point of longing.’ Out-of-home elements include local billboards on major highways, advertising in the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and in the Minneapolis Star Tribune newspaper.
This is the first major brand equity campaign for Pillsbury since 2001, delivers a message of warmth and comfort in a modern world, tying the love, simplicity and family time of home with the irresistible aromas of freshly baked Pillsbury food that draws families together. The theme of the filmed spots, via Saatchi & Saatchi, New York, is that throughout the day, people find themselves thinking about the warmth of home and looking forward to going home and reconnecting with loved ones.
The campaign includes :60, :30, and :15 spots, portraying real-life situations that are relevant in a modern world. Images include a businessman on a city street, a young woman at a train station, a boy in a library, a worker in a factory, and a girl outside an elementary school—all bonded by the thought of the warmth and aroma of something irresistibly warm and delicious baking at home. The iconic Pillsbury Doughboy serves as a behind-the-scenes helper at the end of the spots.
“Pillsbury has always been about bringing people together with irresistible baked goods, and the Home Is Calling campaign is grounded in those core values and builds on the strong emotional connection we’ve built with our consumers,” said Juliana Chugg, Senior Vice President, President of the Pillsbury division at General Mills. “In this tough economy, people are telling us that home and family are more important than ever. They are staying in and eating at home more often and want it to be a positive experience, not a sacrifice.”
“Home Is Calling” actually debuted 10/29 in select movie theaters nationwide during the opening weeks of High School Musical 3 and Madagascar 2, and online at www.pillsbury.com.
